SalesTech Star Interview with Steven Birdsall, CRO at Alteryx

Steven Birdsall, CRO at Alteryx chats about the current trends impacting revenue ops in this SalesTechStar catch-up:

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Take us through your growth and revenue ops journey so far?

My journey in revenue operations began more than two decades ago at SAP, where I spent 15 years deeply embedded in operational leadership. Serving as COO across diverse regions on a global scale, from North America, Japan, and Asia Pacific to Latin America and Europe, provided me with invaluable insight into the unique revenue drivers and market dynamics that shape business growth worldwide. Understanding these regional nuances is critical when scaling any organization.

Early in my career, I transitioned from consulting to software, driven by my passion for delivering tangible customer value through technology. Following my tenure at SAP, I embraced a series of chief revenue officer roles at companies such as Radial, Anaplan, and Qlik. These positions expanded my expertise including taking companies public, managing e-commerce and fulfillment operations, and driving global revenue growth. Throughout my career, I’ve had the opportunity to launch new business units, lead multinational teams, and shape go-to-market strategies that align with evolving industry needs.

Today, as CRO at Alteryx, I continue to leverage a blend of global operational savvy and revenue leadership to fuel business growth and success. Reflecting on a 30-year journey, I am grateful for the diverse experiences that have shaped my approach—across regions, roles, and stages of company evolution.

What best practices have you come away with as a repeat CRO in SaaS?

I believe that one of the most vital leadership principles, no matter what role or industry, is leading with empathy. The outdated “yell and scream” management style no longer resonates; people want to feel valued, supported, and inspired, not pressured. It’s important to truly understand what motivates your team, whether it’s career advancement, recognition, or meaningful work—that is fundamental to unlocking their potential.

Equally important is a purposeful, deliberate approach to hiring. Over-hiring can lead to costly layoffs and erode team morale. Hiring should be treated as a sacred responsibility, focused on bringing in the right people with a clear purpose and alignment. That said, striking the balance between technology and people is crucial. While AI and sales tools can boost efficiency, it’s essential to implement them thoughtfully to avoid overwhelming the team with constant change. Transparency must be a cornerstone within any team. The ability to openly share both successes and setbacks with stakeholders fosters trust and alignment.

Lastly, invest in mentoring. Many employees lack a clear career plan, so taking time to guide and develop talent is key for long-term success for organizations.

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We’d love some highlights on the type of sales tech and rev tech you usually swear by to impact growth goals?

I’m a strong advocate for platforms with powerful pipeline analytics, AI-driven forecasting, and engagement tools that enable personalized automation. These technologies must seamlessly integrate with marketing automation to create a smooth, end-to-end customer journey.

Right now, I’m particularly excited about the potential of generative AI and intelligent workflows. These innovations automate content creation, sales plays, and decision-making by tapping into both structured and unstructured enterprise data. Leveraging AI to analyze transactional and analytic data in real time offers a transformative competitive edge. That said, technology is ultimately a means to an end. True efficiency and effectiveness come from striking the right balance between innovative tools and talented people.

For any CRO, aligning better with marketing is always a priority (and often, a challenge), how do you address this?

Aligning sales and marketing is both critical and challenging for any CRO. At Alteryx, we tackle this by empowering business users with seamless access to unified data from across the enterprise. By integrating structured, unstructured, and semi-structured data into intelligent workflows, we create a shared foundation that enables effective collaboration and empowers teams to make smarter, data-driven decisions together.

Generative AI plays a key role in bridging this gap. It helps automate content creation, tailor sales plays, and personalize marketing outreach, ensuring messaging is aligned and relevant across the customer journey. More importantly, AI tools can analyze combined sales and marketing data in real time to highlight trends, optimize campaigns, and drive revenue growth. When both teams work from the same data and leverage AI-powered analytics and automation, alignment naturally follows, leading to better business outcomes.

Five daily best practices you think every SaaS CRO should swear by?

1. Lead with empathy: Great leadership starts with empathy. Take time each day to connect with teams on a human level and operate with emotional intelligence. Recognize that behind every number is a person motivated by different drivers. Empathetic leadership inspires trust, boosts morale, and ultimately drives better performance.
2. Be purposeful with hiring: Over-hiring can be a costly mistake that damages morale and burdens the organization. Every hiring decision should be intentional and strategic, focused on bringing in the right talent with a clear purpose and alignment to your company’s vision. By maintaining discipline in recruitment, you ensure sustainable growth and build a high-performing, cohesive team.
3. Leverage technology and automation: Understand the role of AI and automation as essential tools for running your business. Use technology to streamline repetitive tasks, improve forecasting accuracy, and gain real-time insights into customer behavior and sales performance. But balance is key: Adopt tools that enhance your team’s capabilities without overwhelming them.
4. Invest in mentoring: Ensure that every employee has a clear development plan and receives ongoing guidance. Mentoring builds skills, boosts engagement, and prepares your team to meet evolving business challenges.
5. Show transparency in investment and forecast: Transparency builds alignment and trust across your organization and with stakeholders. Share forecasts, investment priorities, and key insights openly with stakeholders and teams alike. Honest communication, both about successes and challenges, creates a culture of accountability and enables more informed, collective decision-making.

For sales teams struggling with customer acquisition and growth in 2025: what insights would you share?

The key is prioritizing transparency, data alignment, and intelligent automation to create a truly customer-centric approach. When teams operate in isolation, it’s nearly impossible to deliver a seamless, personalized customer experience that drives acquisition and retention.

Then, make sure to invest in technology and automation to make data accessible and actionable across teams and streamline routine tasks. Sales reps should have real-time visibility into pipeline analytics, customer behavior, and marketing engagement. Using AI-powered analytics can uncover patterns and predict which prospects are most likely to convert, enabling your team to focus efforts more strategically. This frees your team to concentrate on building authentic relationships and closing deals rather than administrative work.

Fostering open communication and shared goals creates alignment and a unified strategy.

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